Freelance Painting

[denny99]

I'm thinking about modeling a freelance railroad in the distant future, but what always kept me from trying is painting. Especially complicated paint schemes involving stripes or extensive masking required to achieve good results.

But honestly, even a simple two-color scheme that requires masking the side of a diesel loco is somewhat a daunting task to me. I'm afraid the final result could be compromised by poor masking, and masking a loco side with all the panels and details looks difficult to me.

I never had problems painting locomotives in SP bloody nose scheme, as it's primarily dark gray, and the nose is easy to mask - at least on non F-units (see
https://www.burbankbranch.com/painti...-a-locomotive/ )

Also, for those who freelance and/or paint locos in their favorite railroad scheme, do you generally buy undecorated locos or proceed with paint-stripping without hesitation? I am asking, because it looks like there aren't too many undecorated diesel engines out there, especially in N scale.

[Russ C]

What's the timeframe you're looking at denny99? I've done, and seen, models using just name changes on Class 1 diesels. A fictious name on a BN SD-9 or a UP yellow MP-15 with a name change can be just as effective. Like a Class 2 or short line that's bought power on the secondhand market but didn't spring for a repaint.

[BillyJoeBob]

denny99 -- Here’s the way I solved the engine paint problem – I have favorite railroads and have copies of their schemes that are available painted commercially.

https://realisticmodelrailroading.ne...scheme-proceed

Having a "museum," I can run the engines with “new” paint or I’ll eventually weather some of them.

BJB

[denny99]

Thanks BillyJoeBob, nice idea! I don't have a favorite railroad (apart from the Espee) I would like to replicate, I don't even have a precise idea of what color or color scheme I would paint my freelance railroad. Just tinkering around with it in my head

[Allen]

denny99
That's a great question.

You are right, there are not a lot undec locos or rolling stock in N scale like there use to be.

If I have the choice, I'll buy an undec as my first choice then paint it.
I have not done a lot of stripping in recent years. Not long ago I painted up 7 GP35's and 5 B23-7's and along with several GP40's and GP7's.
Of these only a couple were painted, which I either stripped or just painted over them. When painting over them, I have first tried to remove some of the pad printing so that I don't get ghosts from the lettering or logos, then I'll prime them and start painting.
It may not be the best way to paint a loco, but I have a friend who has done of painting and he very rarely strips things down.

I would much rather start out with undecs if only to save the hassle of stripping.

In one case, I picked up a recent version of a Rock Island GP7 that was in the full maroon scheme. There wasn't much to the scheme, so all I had to do was remove the cab numbers and the small Rock Island herald under the cab. Then I just masked off the ends so I could paint them yellow.

As far as masking, maybe you've heard of this trick. I like using Tamiya yellow tape, it's very flexible and it can be burnished down into the nooks an crannies like the door panels. If I paint the the base color in say Maroon, and I want to paint the ends yellow, I'll mask it off, then either use the same base color or a clear coat and shoot along the taped edges. This usually seals the masked edges so that when I shoot the yellow, it will not bleed under the tape. If done properly, it will leave a super sharp paint line.

I hope this helps you?

[denny99]

What's the timeframe you're looking at denny99? I've done, and seen, models using just name changes on Class 1 diesels. A fictious name on a BN SD-9 or a UP yellow MP-15 with a name change can be just as effective. Like a Class 2 or short line that's bought power on the secondhand market but didn't spring for a repaint.

Thanks Russ,

If I ever went freelancing, I think I would set the layout in the late 1980s / early 1990s. It would certainly be a shortline. I am not too much inclined towards using an existing paint scheme and patch road name and number, but that's indeed a nice idea to save some time and effort and be able to use ready-to-run locos.

[denny99]

If I paint the the base color in say Maroon, and I want to paint the ends yellow, I'll mask it off, then either use the same base color or a clear coat and shoot along the taped edges. This usually seals the masked edges so that when I shoot the yellow, it will not bleed under the tape. If done properly, it will leave a super sharp paint line.

That's brilliant, Allen. I wasn't aware of this trick, thank you.
I have a couple of old engines I'm not planning to use on the layout. Those can be good candidates to play around with Tamiya masking tape

[Allen]

That's brilliant, Allen. I wasn't aware of this trick, thank you.
I have a couple of old engines I'm not planning to use on the layout. Those can be good candidates to play around with Tamiya masking tape

It takes and extra step and adds another cleaning to your airbrush, but it sure make for a crisp line.
It took me a while before I started giving it a try due the extra step ad cleaning the brush twice, but it sure makes a difference.
Hope it works for you?

[Russ C]

I do the same idea Allen. But I use a Tamiya rattle can of flat/dullcoat to save the cleaning process.

[Allen]

Great idea Russ!!!

[Paul S.]

Great reminder of a good, reliable technique, Allen .

Denny, as mentioned above, if you find a paint scheme of a particular railroad already offered in N scale, such as the SP for example, you can either remove or paint over the existing road name and number.

Sometimes the factory-applied lettering will come off with multiple applications of Solvaset, and sometimes it won't. In that case I use a new, sharp no. 11 blade to scrape away -- oh so gently -- only the road numbers on the cab sides. Road names are much more tricky to remove this way because of the access door details.

In that case, I'd mask off where needed, but not too close the factory lettering, then airbrush a light coat of a good primer, such as Stynlrez gray, over the factory lettering, then airbrush on the matching body color coat. That should obscure the factory-applied lettering.

Then apply custom decals, weather to taste, and apply a flat top coat.

[denny99]

Thanks, Paul S.! Lots of useful tips. As for the road number removal, I need to do that on an SP loco (I have two identical), and I will certainly try the methods you suggested.

About the custom paint scheme, I had something different than the SP in mind. Removing road numbers and names wouldn't work. But I guess with proper masking, a two-color paint scheme is achievable.